My Nerd Brother
by nothingtolose18
Summary: Oneshot. Zack is out skateboarding, when he comes across a group of people trying to pick a fight with Cody. He doesn't know whether to leave him or help him .. until something happens that makes Zack see red. I rated T because it has ONE curse word lol.


**A/N: Okay, so I haven't done one of these in a while! Wow. Back to Suite Life, eh? :p I still love this show. This is set in regular Suite Life btw, not on deck. I'm just a sucker for when siblings always fight, but you know they really care about each other? Ya know? *Squee*. Anyway, ahem.**

**Disclaimer: I own Suite Life now? LOL JK.**

Zack was skateboarding through the park without a care in the world. He was glad he'd managed to ditch Cody for once. Dude _seriously _cramped his style sometimes. He almost felt a twinge of guilt about thinking that, but it was _true! _If they didn't look alike, sometimes Zack wouldn't believe they were brothers.

He skidded to a stop when he saw a bunch of people crowded around the end of the skatepark, laughing. _Dude, I'm missing something! _Wondering what was going on, he stepped off his board and squeezed his way through the crowd to find -

Cody, on the ground, face beet red and staring up at everyone with humiliated, wet eyes. He was wearing an oversized helmet and as many wrist, knee, and shin guards as you could possibly cram onto the one person. Everyone around Zack was laughing and pointing at him.

The way Zack figured it, he had two options; he could take the easy route and run away, pretending not to have seen him. _Or, _he could be a kind, responsible brother and rescue Cody, and risk getting teased by everyone, too.

Zack was distracted from his thoughts when an exceptionally large guy stepped forward and picked Cody up by the collar and shook him.

"What are you crying about, _baby?_" sneered the bully, glaring at Cody. If Cody _hadn't _been crying, he was about to now.

Zack hesitated for a moment. Cody whimpered slightly, and the bully drew back his arm. All of a sudden, it was like time stood still for Zack. He knew what was going to happen seconds before the bully's fist connected with Cody's face. The laughter of the crowd echoed in his ears, slow and cruel. Suddenly, there were no decisions to be made. Zack had just learned the meaning of 'seeing red'.

"Touch him again and die, asshole!" Zack yelled, stepping forward and clenching his free hand into a fist. _As if that will do anything. He's three times my size._

The guy looked down at him, shell-shocked for a moment at seeing double, before realizing it was a different boy. Cody looked extremely relieved to see his brother standing before him, and Zack felt incredible guilt about his earlier thoughts of running away and leaving his twin. God knew what they would have done to him if ... well, Zack didn't want to think about it.

"Who's gonna kill me? _You_?" the bully demanded with a mocking laugh, throwing Cody to the ground. He landed with a thud; probably a good thing he was wearing so much protection, after all.

Zack didn't know what inspired it, but suddenly his skateboard was aimed at the guy's nether regions. He fell to the ground, whimpering, and Zack paused long enough to demand, "Who's the baby now?" Then he burst through the ground and ran as fast as he could for home, knowing that Cody was following close behind.

Zack was almost afraid to look behind him as he ran, sure that the crowd from the skate park would be following. They weren't, though. They seemed to be gathered around their fallen leader, and Zack couldn't help but grin smugly at the older guy's pain.

"Thanks, Zack," Cody sniffled, as they slowed to a stop, huffing and puffing, at the entrance to the Tipton. "He was going to _kill _me!"

"Nah, not kill," Zack corrected, throwing his arm around his brother amiably as they stepped into the lobby. "Probably just beat the snot out of you. Just ... do me a favor and don't go anywhere by yourself anymore, dweeb?"

"Oh, whatever," Cody scoffed, but he was smiling anyway. "Come on. Mom's going to be wondering where we've been .. and where I got _this,_" he added, gingerly touching his blackening eye and wincing.

Zack felt a surprising burst of anger and adrenaline rush back into his body when he looked at Cody's injuries, but he didn't let it show how much it upset him. "Sure, nerd. Let's go home." What Zack was thinking, but would never admit, was that no matter how nerdy Cody was, he was _his _nerd brother. And no one would hurt him again - not with _Zack _around.

Fin

**A/N: Whatcha think? It's just a little something I scribbled down for you all. Let me know if you like it, please :) (or hate, I'm not picky lol. I just love reviews :p)**


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